The Darkest Hours
by DJ Rocca
Summary: As the Gang tries to cope from the death of Velma Dinkley, they struggle to remain together. The one lesson they must learn is that in the darkest hours, you are not alone. References to Shaggy/Velma. Daphne/Freddie.
1. Prologue

The Darkest Hour  
Prologue

**Note**: I do not own Scooby Doo. I do not make a profit from writing this story.  
**Authors Note: PLEASE PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION. READ THE WARNINGS AND TAKE HEED, THIS IS A DARK DARK DARK STORY, WELL AT LEAST THIS PART IS.  
****Warnings**: Character Death, Murder, Gun Violence, Language, Implications of Non-Consensual actions between people.  
**Fandom**: Scooby Doo (Mystery Begins)  
**Hurt/Comfort BINGO Prompts**: postage stamp hurt/comfort challenge (Scars (wild card), fear of heights, sexual extortion: to keep a secret (adult), bullet wounds)  
**Genre**: Angst/Drama/Horror/(Slight)HurtComfort  
**Rating**: R (Character Death, Murder, Gun Violence, Language, Implications of Non-Consensual actions between people. I'm stating it again so you make sure to read it if you missed it.)

* * *

Lucy Nichols was a woman with much to hide. She hated it too. At the age of 30, she at least thought she'd be married with kids by now. She idly rubbed a scar on her wrist, it was fresh and it bothered her. It was still lumpy and purple; the knife that had gone through her wrist did so much damage she was surprised that mark was all that was left. Letting her useless hand fall to her side she stared at her screen, she was supposed to be doing two things. Monitoring the area and doing her work.

The coast was still clear and she continued to reroute money from one account in her business to another. She hated doing it but unfortunately she let herself get into this mess. Three years ago she had begun to piece together that someone was diverting money to a fake account. She continued to track it and then, at the time, needed money and decided to steal some of it. Why not, they were stealing it first, that logic settled with her. She was doing just fine, skimming a little off the top when she caught them taking it.

Too bad she got busted. She shivered when she felt two hands grab her from behind and force her into a dark room. They demanded to know how she caught them and that she now work for them and do _everything_ they wanted or they would pin it all on her. Knowing she couldn't get out of it, she submitted and began to work for them. Each day she became someone's girl, they would use her as they please then would let her go, promising of turning her over if she tried to tell anyone or turn them in.

So right now, she hated her life, deeply. She glanced at the monitors to see 4 shadows and then what appeared to be a dog's shadow creeping around outside. Her heart stopped. She knew of the teen sleuthing group Mystery Incorporated that lurked around this part of town. Then she realized that they were probably searing for the "Creeping Phantom" as the press liked to call him. It was the boss that had caught her, he used his disguise for things she didn't want to think about. But that's probably what brought the kids here.

"Shit," she cursed, and looked again. "Oh for the love of Pete!" she muttered, they had split up into groups, one boy and the dog and one boy and one girl and another girl was on her own. Her heart stopped in her chest in fear for the one girl. She watched the girl climb to the roof. She cursed again, especially because she hated being up there. Fear of heights and all that, it's why she was happy to be in an office with no windows. Being even one story up bothered her, but she had to push that aside for the safety of that girl.

The men that were ghosting here meant business and if they shot her, they would do horrific things to the girl. She could live with her sins but not the death, or worse given the company she worked for, of a teenager. With shaking legs she clung to the railing with her good arm and hauled ass up the stairs. She stopped at the roof door and heard foot steps coming. Swearing she pulled open the door and saw the tiny teen attempting to do God knows what but she was there and she needed to get away.

"Hey! You! Run! Get out of here!" she shouted and the girl jumped and pointed her flashlight directly into the older woman's eyes. "Fuck! Get that out of my eyes!" The light was lowered and Lucy grabbed the girl by the shoulders. "You have to leave, now! They'll find you!"

"The Phantom isn't real," she said blankly, and blinked at the woman, "so if you think a ghost story is going to scare me-"

"Of course not! But mankind is worst than any ghost. Especially these men! Remember those bodies of those teenaged girls that showed up? Tortured and cut up? Those people are the phantom's lackies. Get out of here now, please, hurry back to your group and run," The girl paled and when they heard the door banged open Lucy knew it was too late for either of them.

"Well, well, well, Lucy you got me a present and its not even my birthday," the man's voice drifted to them and hit Lucy like a slap. She looked in the girl's eyes and did the one thing she could do.

"I'm so sorry," she told her and stood in front of her.

"Hmm, what to do, what to do? Out with the old, in with the new I think is best," he said and a shot ran out. Lucy felt pain in her chest and fell to her knees. The girl screamed and caught her as best she could. She was lowering her to the ground when she heard the man approach. She heard the girl cry out but she couldn't see, she could only look up at the sky.

She closed her eyes and let tears fall as she heard cries from the girl and noises she never wanted to hear. The smell of blood intensified around her and then, she heard the man walking away. She opened her eyes and forced herself to roll over. She glanced to the girl whose orange sweater was slashed to ribbons and now crimson. She was soaked in her own blood and had begun to curl into the fetal position with her sobs.

"What's your name?" Lucy asked, she was weak and knew the girl probably didn't stand a chance either. But she would try her best to try to make their final moments better.

"Velma Dinkley," came out, soft and broken.

"I'm Lucy Nichols. And I'm so sorry," she told her, which made the girl cry harder, she heard her wheezing for air.

"I know. I am too," Velma's voice was weakening and Lucy struggled to move closer to the girl. She felt the girl curl into her as she would if she was being comforted by her mother. Lucy let out a soft sob and as they lay there, they were both thankful for one thing.

They were not alone.

* * *

To Be Continued

This is the prologue to a revamp of a story I wrote long ago called "The Darkest Hours" under an old authors name. Granted I only changed the incarnation but still, it was my story and I will not have people accusing me of plagiarism. It's the one story I wrote 8 years ago that I will still willingly claim.

The story will not remain this dark, but it won't be that happy either. Just a fair warning now.

Reviews are love. Thank you for reading.


	2. One

The Darkest Hour  
One: You Were My Muse

**Note**: I do not own Scooby Doo or Alesund by Sun Kil Moon. I do not make a profit from writing this story.  
**Authors Note: **I am aware Stevie Nichols is the character name of Hayley Kiyoko's character on "Wizards of Waverly Place". I just happen to like it.**  
****Fandom**: Scooby Doo (Mystery Begins)  
**Genre**: Angst/Drama/Horror/(Slight)HurtComfort  
**Rating**: T (Language, violence, adult situation references)

_No this is not my guitar  
I'm bringing it to a friend  
And no I don't sing  
I'm only humming along  
I came down from the room  
I saw you in the rain  
Laughing with some people  
Hair dripping down your face  
Your calm hypnotic eyes  
Your Scandinavian glow  
I felt them like a flame  
Candle in my cold bones  
Tonight you were my muse  
As I belted and I strummed  
From the crowd I heard  
You sing a pretty line  
Was it there so much longer  
That I wanna cry  
I thought about it long  
Had you repeated in my ear  
"I couldn't place a thought  
without you being so close"  
Away from all the fun  
And back into the black  
Seaside night of Alesund  
_-Alesund by Sun Kil Moon

Norville "Shaggy" Rogers sighed as he climbed on the bus to school. It didn't matter anymore. He was going to fail out again and once again repeat a grade. But that didn't faze him anymore. Nothing did. Everyone was doing their best to try to help him but…he couldn't bring himself to care. Not one bit. He stopped riding with Daphne and Freddie, and they accepted that. He wasn't mad at them, they knew that, he just needed space from them and the life he had.

As the bus picked up its final students, he focused on the dark gray material of the seat in front of him, looking at the obnoxious amount of graffiti on it. Suddenly there was a plop beside him and he was no longer alone on the bench seat. Startled, he looked up; most people avoided him, especially after what had happened a year ago.

Norville "Shaggy" Rogers sighed as he climbed on the bus to school. It didn't matter anymore. He was going to fail out again and once again repeat a grade. But that didn't faze him anymore. Nothing did. Everyone was doing their best to try to help him but…he couldn't bring himself to care. Not one bit. He stopped riding with Daphne and Freddie, and they accepted that. He wasn't mad at them, they knew that, he just needed space from them and the life he had.

As the bus picked up its final students, he focused on the dark gray material of the seat in front of him, looking at the obnoxious amount of graffiti on it. Suddenly there was a plop beside him and he was no longer alone on the bench seat. Startled, he looked up; most people avoided him, especially after what had happened a year ago.

One year ago, Velma Dinkley died, slaughtered while they worked a case. If they weren't outcasts before, Mystery Incorporated certainly were now. As much as they tried to carry on, the group was strained, they tried not to let it happen, but guilt was a horrible thing that consumed them all. At least Freddie had Daphne, though he was turning away from her but she was clinging worse than before. Freddie had told him on more than one occasion he wanted Daphne out of his life, looking at her hurt too much. He did have Scooby, but human comfort was different from the comfort of a dog.

He looked to the person who was invading his seat and obviously didn't care about personal space since she was smashed up against him. She was blinking at him with an amused smile on her lips. Her dark hair was lined with thick blonde streaks; her hair only went to the back of her neck. Her outfit was something else as well, black vest, blue tank top, and red plaid pants. She wore high black boots and her bag was carelessly flopped at her feet and a guitar hung into the aisle.

"Like, excuse me, what are you doing?" he asked, finding his voice, he wasn't used to talk, not this early in the morning or much anymore.

"Sitting down, what are you? Seat Police?" the girl snapped back, her voice sounded rough but she seemed more amused than anything.

"I've never, like, seen you before. Who are you?" he asked, it was only a month into the New Year, usually new people started right away but it didn't matter to him. He just wanted to know who invaded his space.

"Stevie. Is this an interrogation, Seat Police?" she asked, arching her bows.

"Uhm, no?"

"That's too bad. I may have enjoyed it, but I can take a hint, now I get to fight for a seat in the back," she said and stood, as she fought towards, a familiar foot shot out to trip her.

Shaggy couldn't help but laugh as she had stepped over his foot, and then took one step back to step on it. The asshole howled in pain and she laughed.

"Oh…was that your foot?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and fake innocence. "Oops," she said, her voice went cold as she continued to the back and threw herself on the empty back seat.

Shaggy turned back towards the front of his seat, at least his day started off with a laugh. He realized he hadn't laughed in so long, he forgot how it felt. He closed his eyes and let his head hit the back of the seat. And he prayed to God that Velma was with him and at peace, and that he'd get the strength to live again, he honestly didn't know how much longer he could feel like this…

* * *

Freddie and Daphne were waiting on either side of his locker, as usual. He stopped his backpack at his feet and began to turn the combination lock. Putting the numbers in, the lock actually gave and he sighed.

"Thank God for small favors," he unloaded his backpack into his locker and took out books for his first classes.

The other two were talking vacantly as usual. They talked but he never listened and they never spoke of anything important. Freddie patted him on the back and left, leaving him and Daphne at the lockers. Shaggy looked to the girl and then opened his arms to her. She threw herself in and he held her tight. He placed his chin on top of her head and her head was buried in his neck. Daphne's guilt was consuming her just as bad as his.

Since that night, though the two remained a couple, Shaggy knew they were doing it because they couldn't leave one another. Freddie was becoming resentful of Daphne and she knew it. She blamed herself for what had happened that night. So she spent her time with Freddie until he'd yell at her and she'd come running into his arms. Shaggy didn't mind comforting her, and had started to depend on her physical contact to keep him focused and some days, it's what kept him alive. When he had told her that, she didn't seem surprised; she didn't judge but made every effort she could to touch him when she was near. Freddie hadn't voiced that he didn't want her to stop to either one of them so they continued. He probably thought they were fooling around but if Freddie thought that, he was stupid as they all first thought.

Daphne slowly pulled away and he almost asked her back, but instead she took his hand and they began to walk to their first hour class. English. They sat in the back of the class; this was one of the few classes where they weren't separated by alphabetical seating. She passed him her homework and begged him to copy it, with a sigh he did. He heard Daphne make a noise and looked up, the new girl was back. She was heading to the seat in front of Daphne and sat down.

"Uh," Shaggy watched as Daphne leaned forward. "Someone sits there," she told the girl.

The girl turned around and gave her an 'oh really' look. Then she spied Shaggy and winked at him.

"I thought that was your job, Seat Police," she told him, while Daphne just looked confused.

"Shag, you know her?"

"Yeah, we met on the bus. Daph, this is Stevie, Stevie this is Daphne Blake," he said not looking up from the homework he was half heartedly writing down.

"Stevie?" Daphne questioned the name.

"That's the name on my birth certificate," she said, "So you're Daphne Blake," Stevie said, but didn't elaborate. She merely turned back around and took out a notebook. Daphne frowned but looked over to Shaggy, he passed her back her homework and she let her hand linger on his. He looked to her and she looked back at him, they both saw emptiness in others eyes. But there was thankfulness at the touch. As the teacher walked in, they dropped their hands and Shaggy settled in for a nap. He hated English.

* * *

The bell sounded and Shaggy woke up, the new girl was gone and Daphne was gathering her things. She waited for him to stretch, yawn, and grab his things, and then they began their walk towards their next class. He wasn't in this one with her, but Fred was and they would wait for him to join and he'd watch them go. Then he'd usually skip his class, it was Math, if he hated anything more than English, it was math.

"Shaggy Rogers !" he stopped dead at the loud voice of Principal Grimes, he turned to see the older man strutting towards him.

"Like, it wasn't me!" he immediately said, Grimes actually smiled for a moment but that quickly disappeared.

"You're not in trouble, I was just hoping since you don't seem to be attending your math class anymore, you could at least show our new student, Miss Nichols around since she seems to be making mischief of her own," he nodded his head behind him, Shaggy looked over his shoulder to see Stevie leaning up against a row of lockers. She waved her fingers at him and was grinning cheekily.

"Uh, like, sure, why not," he told him, and Stevie sauntered over to him.

"You two behave," Grimes said and walked off.

"So Seat Police, I'm not really too interested in where anywhere is. I can use the 'I'm new' excuse, can we go somewhere to chill?" she asked, he nodded and they headed outside.

"Mind if I call my dog over?" he asked and she shook her head violently.

"I'm allergic. Unless you want me breaking out in hives, but I don't feel like being itchy all day," Stevie said and Shaggy sighed.

"Zoinks, sorry!" he said, she arched her bow.

"Zoinks?" she asked, he felt himself blush a bit.

"Yeah…I, like, try not to swear. My Dad's a cop and he thinks swearing makes a person look like they are trash,"

"So you made up a word?" she asked, as he led her to the bleachers and she plopped down.

"Yeah, it's like, totally weird I know but it's me," he said, she smiled and shook her head.

"I don't mind. It's kinda cool, you remind me of a hippie," she said as she pulled out her guitar.

"You play?" he asked, she shrugged.

"I'm no Hendrix but I do dabble. Though I may afflict my horrid singing on you," she said with a wink. He sat back and listened as she began to strum the cords, then began a melody. She began to sing, her voice wasn't the greatest but the emotions were strong.

"What song is that?" he asked, as she finished.

"Alesund by Sun Kil Moon," she continued to strum gently, "So, what's got you beat down?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he stated bluntly.

"I can tell, that's probably why the Principal is being so lenient on you? As well as the Teachers," she said, he shot her a look.

"My best friend was killed, almost a year ago…I left her alone…it was my fault…I only come because my Ma and Pop could go to jail. I don't care if I ever get out of this place…it doesn't matter anymore," he admitted, it felt good to get it out. To finally tell someone, it was easier to tell a stranger, than to tell his friends. He didn't want to be a bigger burden than he already was.

"Would she want you to give up?" the sudden and brunt question made him think of her. He closed his eyes and remembered the day, not that night, not her body, not the blood. But the wind in her hair, her skirt ruffling in the breeze and her laugh.

"No, she wouldn't. But I can't…anymore, I'm not a fighter, I'm a coward," He heard her footsteps grow closer and she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Live your life, for her, it's all you can do," she said and he watched her climb down the bleachers and watched he walk away, back towards the school as the bell sounded.

* * *

The day went by for him in a blur; he didn't see Stevie again until the end of the day. He was waiting for Freddie at his lockers; Daphne was cuddled into his shoulder, a pout on her lips. Stevie walked past and he called out to her.

"Yes, my little Beatnik?" she asked, Daphne frowned.

"Don't call him that," she snapped, Stevie held up her hands.

"Sorry Blake, didn't mean to insult your boyfriend," Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Look Stevie," she said the name with such contempt that Shaggy did a double take, Stevie simply smiled, "he is not my boyfriend and you don't even know us. Why don't you act like a normal new girl and mind your own business,"

"Daphne!" he said in disbelief.

"You're funny Blake, good to see that you've got balls,"

"Uh, Daphne's a chick, she's doesn't have balls," came Freddie's voice as he walked up.

"Freddie, this is between the two of us, stay out of it," Daphne snapped, Stevie held up her hands.

"Whatever you guys, Shag, whatever you wanted to tell me, tell me later, I don't need this!" she turned on her heels, shoving past Freddie and out the door.

"Whoa, who was that?" he asked, as they all watched her go.

"Stevie Nichols. New girl. Pain in my ass," Daphne said, Shaggy looked down at her.

"Zoinks Daph! What got into you?" he asked, she looked up at him and she shrugged.

"I…I don't know. I just…" Shaggy saw the tears in her eyes he motioned to Freddie and they both held her as she started to sob.

"I know, I miss Velma too," Freddie said, and pressed his lips to the top of her head. Shaggy wriggled out of the embrace and let Freddie hold on to her. He walked away from them and went outside and Scooby Doo bounded over.

"Rhow rhaw rhour rhay, Rhaggy?" Scooby asked and Shaggy began to scratch behind his ear.

"It was interesting Scoob, certainly interesting," he said and they headed for the bus.

* * *

To Be Continued.

Reviews are love.


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